2 Samuel 7

2nd Samuel 7:13
He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

In chapter 7 of 2nd Samuel, we start off with King David taking a break from killing his neighbors (and possibly doing his part to help rid Lebanon of its forests). As he's resting, resident prophet Nathan, receives a vision regarding the king and instructions to pass on the message to him.

The message starts off with God reminding David that he was with him from the very beginning when David was tending sheep. Not only that, but God's still around around to high-five David as he's killing everyone living in the lands that the Israelites believe should belong to them.

2SAM 7:9 David high-fives God after a conquest.
(Dramatic Reenactment)

By verse 10 the actual fortune-telling finally gets going. King David is told that the children of Israel have had to move around too much, and they need a permanent place to be planted.

In verse 12 David is told that he will rule this permanently established kingdom until the end of his life, at which time his offspring will assume leadership and keep his kingdom going. Verse 13 tells us once again: this kingdom of David will last forever.

Verses 14-16 tell us that even if David or his kingdom get into any "iniquity," he'll punish him a bit, but also show the kingdom mercy. Allowing it to persist forever no matter what.

Not too much is said here about the specifics of this permanent place, except that God will no longer have to live in a tent once they finally build him a decent house (verses 6-7).

So how exactly did things play out for King David and his kingdom? Well, in around 1000 BCE, King David has established his "permanent" kingdom and rules from Jerusalem, his capital. There he finally builds God a decent place to live 40 years later in 960 BCE.

Problems arise from within though and in about 30 years the kingdom becomes divided into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

About 100 years after that, Israel is crushed by the Assyrians.

In another 100 years or so, Judah is conquered by the Babylonians.

By this time, not only are most jews exiled from their "permanent" home, God's new house has been destroyed as well.

Things aren't looking too good for Nathan at this point.

Revelations 20:10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

If there's such a thing as hell, it looks like Nathan is in it.